Two-way collapsible container



Oct. 8, 1957 J. s. JOHNSON l2,808,956

TWO-WAY COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Filed Aug. 19, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 8, 1957 J. s. JOHNSON Two-WAY coLLAPsIBLE: CONTAINER 3 Sheets-Sheerl 2 Filed Aug. 19. 1954 Oct. 8, 1957 J. s. JOHNSON 2,808,956

Two-WAY COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Filed Aug. 19, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 T5. E. 16g :I 12% A/l` V Ik l Y v IN VEN TOR. 7//////I JOHAN S/NON JOHNSON m", BY Wm 15%l 4 A 1o 161 Afm/@NHS TWO-WAY COLLAPSIBLE. CONTAINER Johan Simon Johnson, Chicago,`lll., assignor to Bigelow- Garvey Lumber Co.,` Chicago, lll., a 'corporation of Illinois p n Application` August 19, 1954, serial No. 451,000

6 claims. (cram-4s) E j This invention relates to storage or transportation containers having a side wall unit whichlcan be collapsed in either direction...

, The main body of this invention is to provide'aV container side wall unit comprising `hingedly connected side Wall panels in which the wire loop hinges are mounted so that the unit can be folded in either of its two possible directions offold intoa substantially flat condition.

Another object of this invention is tofprovide for a collapsible side wall unit of this type, top and bottom closure members having locking engagement therewith als/well as` cooperating withthe unit toform a laterally rigid structure. l

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a constructionwhich facilitates the application ofthe top and bottom walls tothe open ends of the side wall unit into locking relationship. v Other and more detailed objects of the invention lwill be apparent from the embodiments thereof illustrated in the attached drawings.

ln those drawings,

Figure l shows van elevational view ofthe container of this invention illustrating the manner in which the top is inserted and assuming that .the elevation of Figurel shows the frontofthe container;.. i

Figure 2 is atop plan Vview. .ofthe container assembled; .1; Figure 3Y is an enlargedperspective.view of the -upper right-hand corner of the assembled container showing how the top is locked after it is inserted;

Figure 4 is a right-hand side elevational view of the container assembled;

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Figure l;

Figure 7 is a detail view, partly in cross-section, showing the relative position of the associated panels at the lower left-hand corner and the upper right-hand corner of Figure 6 when folded in one direction;

Figure 8 is a similar view showing the same corners when folded in the opposite direction; and

Figures 9 and lO `are views corresponding to Figures 7 and 8 for the lower right-hand and upper left-hand corners of Figure 6.

While the type of container illustrated in the drawings employs an open slat type of wall and top Iand bottom construction, it will be understood that the subject matter of this invention can be applied to containers having solid or continuous wall panels.

The subject matter of this invention relates generally to that disclosed in my Patent No. 2,008,762, issued July 23, 1935, for Container, but distinguishes primarily therefrom in having corners which can fold inwardly or outwardly as distinguished from the disclosure in that patent where an opposite pair fold inwardly and an opposite pair fold outwardly so that the patented container can be folded in one direction only.

'2,808,956 viPate-nted.- ot' The open slat-likeform of the walls of the container can take any particular suitable detailed form. The construction illustrated in this respect is exemplary only. As shown, the side wall unit comprises the front and back walls 10 and 12 and the side walls 11 and 13. The front and back walls have a plurality of horizontal battens of which 10a and 12a are examples. The side walls 11 and 13 are framed so as to have side edge framing members of which the members 11a, 11b and 13a, 13b are examples. The sidewall panels 10, 11, 12Yand 13 are arranged in rectangular` relationship andare interconnected at adjacent corners by a series of Wire loops which form hinging connections. These wire loops are shown at'16a, 16h, 16C, and 16d and'lie in apertures in the adjacent members at the corners so as'to lie in planes substantially at right angles to the diagonals of the-rectangle. lWhen the side wall unit is set up as shown in Figure 6 these wire loops have a planar form. f

As clearly shown in Figure 6, the side wall panels are arrangedin a special manner and the hinging Wire loops are mounted in a specialmanner so that the assembled rectangular structure can be folded to a substantially at condition in either of two directions. Examining the structure in Figure 6 in a clockwise direction, it will be noted4 that the trailing edge Aof Yeach wall panel overlaps theleading edge of theassociated panel. In a likes-nariner the hatten 10 overl-aps in part-the side edge of the panel 11 starting at. the lower-left-hand corner of--Figu're 6. In the, upper left-hand corner the side member -11fi overlaps in part the side edge of the panel 12 -while at the upper right-hand corner-.the end of batten'iZaiover-l laps in part rthe side edge ofthe panel 13. Finally, the side framing member 13b overlaps in part the side edge of the `panel 1t). Thus .going around 4the rectangle-in Figure Y6 in a' clockwise. directionthe-leading redgeof either `a batten ora side framing member overlaps 'theadjacent edge of the .next panel. l' l 1 It is also lto be noted in Figure 6 that the wire hinging loops are mounted in a `particular manner,l so that going in a clockwise direction these wire-loops =do -notA interseetthe leading.. edgeofV the..` wall panels-butdo intersect,A the trailing edge. of the wall. panels-lat eachcorner;`

As a result of this special relationship of the parts, as just described, it is possible as indicated -in Figures 7 to 10 inclusive to cause hinging action at each corner in either of two directions. Thus in Figure 7 for the lower left-hand and upper right-hand corners the position of the parts are shown when the adjacent panels are opened outwardly. On the other hand, in Figure 8, there is shown the relationship of these parts for these same corners when the panels lare closed inwardly. In just the same way there is illustrated in Figures 9 and 10 the closed and open positions respectively for the lower righthand and upper left-hand corners of Figure 6. Thus it is demonstrated that by the special relationship of parts it is possible to collapse the side wall unit of this invention in either of its two possible directions of movement to a substantially fiat condition.

There is illustrated particularly in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5 how the top and bottom walls 14 and 15 are constructed and mounted to be locked into the open ends of the wall unit when set up to form a complete enclosure having considerable resistance to force tending to distort the unit out of rectangular relationship. The side wall panels 11 and 13 are of similar construction and, as shown in Figure 4, in connection with panel 13 at the top and bottom thereof, there are included a pair of strips 13d and 13e which are secured to the panel in spaced relation. Similarly, there is provided at the bottom a pair of spaced strips 13f and 13. Panel 11 is similarly constructed. The top and bottom panels consist of two groups of strips secured together in right angled relation sothat the.v ends ofv each group extend beyond the outer fatesQfihexnltside,Stripsof.tnentherA group., A sclearly shown in Figure 5 the ends of one group are slipped in the spaces between the strips 13d and 13e and, as shown ini Figure y2the endsof, theother groupv overlie the top edgesof the remaining panels110- and 12.

In order tomake provisionfor the insertionof the top panelianmiinfact, the bottom panellS which is-.simil'arly constructed and mounted, hinging members. are omitted lat certain cornersof the sidewall unit. Thus as shown in Figure l thehinging loops are omitted at the upper right-hand and lower left-hand corners of the container. As shown in Figure 4, they are-omitted at the upper lefthand and lowerl right-hand corners.- of the container. Instead ofthesehinged loopstWo-part'wire fastening elements: are employed, Theserare shown at-10b and1'3k and 1 0c and 11c inFigure 1. T hey are shown at 13c and 121? and at` 10dfand 13h-in Figure 4.

Agsy appears from Figure 3 these two-part fastening devicesare in ,the form of wire-loops having their ends passin g, through the adjacent parts of the panels so that they can be nter-looped to lock the corners at those points. When they `are not inter-looped, as shown in Figure 1, one or-A the other of the `associatedpanels can be sprung outwardly asin the case of panel 13 to facilitate the insertionlof the top,14 inthe positionpreviously described. T hese loops are then interlocked as shown in Figure 3 to preventthe top from vcoming out. The bottom 15 is inserted itlia, Similar manner. It will be clear therefore that `the top and bottom members interlock with the side wall unitand are associ-ated with itto strengthen the complete container against lateral distortion.

To -further strengthen the structure, strapping-strips S1, as` shown in Figure 1, can be attached around thev peripheryy of the container at the top andl bottom so as to overlie the interlocking wire loops and thereby prevent their separation under stress.

From the aboveidescription it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many of the details of construe tion` as illustrated can be varied, while retaining the l wall panels arranged in approximate edge to edge relation. with. the4 adjacent. edges` overlapping progressively around the periphery of the rectangle, an opposite pair of said Walls each having horizontal battens on their outer faces extending at their leading edges only beyond the adjacent side edges of the walls to which they are attached and partially overlapping the adjacent edges of the associated panels of the remaining pairs at diagonally opposite corners, vertical framing members at the side edges of the remaining pair of wallspartially. overlapping the adjacent side edgesVv of theV rst pair of walls at the remaining pair of diagonally opposite corners, and hinge wires lying in 4apertures extending through the overlapping endsof the horizontal battens andthe adjacent vertical framing members, wherebyy said unit folds ilat in either of two directions.

2. In the combination of claim 1, said hinge wires being in the form of closed loops lying in a single plane positioned, substantially at right angles to the diagonals at the associated corners.

3. In the combination of claim 1, said hinge wires being positioned so as not to intersect the wall panels to which said battensare. attached.

4. In rthe combination of claim 1, said hinge wires being'positioned so as not to intersect obliquely the wall panelsto whichsaid battens-.are attached.

v5. In the combinationof claim 1, an adjacent pair of p anelshaving pairs of attaching members secured at diagonally opposite corners, said fastening devices being separable to permit springing apart of the associated panels at those corners.

6. In the combination of claim l, an adjacent pair of panelsihaving pairs of attaching members secured at diagOnally opposite corners, said fastening devices being separable to permit springing apart of the associated panels at ythose corners, said fastening devices consi-sting of pairs Vofnterconnectable wire loops.

References Cited in the le of vthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,008,762,y Johnson July 23, 1935 2,042,323 Ott May 26, 1936 2,110,150 Hile Mar. 8, 1938 2,651,431 Johnson Sept. 8, 1953 2,734,652 McFee Feb. 14, 1956 

